Purpose -- UAE has emerged into the international scene as a country with solid economy and as the business center for multinational companies in the Middle East with a workforce consisting mainly of emigrant workers. The purpose of this study is to shed light on the management conditions and situation in countries with a rapidly growing economy such as the United Arab Emirates. Accordingly, the general situation of the employee voice in the oil and gas industry will be discussed and evaluated.
Methodology -- This study presents qualitative and quantitative methods. The study’s main research instrument used is a set of questionnaires addressed to the HR Manager and to 30 members of the HR Department of a leading oil and gas company in UAE. Further to that, interviews were conducted with the Health and Safety and IT Departments, in order to identify the employee voice within the UAE.
Findings -- Employee voice practices are still in their early stages. There was a clear gap between the employees and their managers when it came to engaging employees in decision making on the corporate level. The absence of a clear employee voice policy is evident in the company.
Originality/value -- The study offers some insights on the employee voice practices in the oil and gas sector of the UAE.